Lil Ms Money Bags Takes Mile High Futurity

Lil Ms Money Bags captured the biggest prize of her career in the 400-yard, $109,110 Mile High Futurity (G3) on Sunday at Arapahoe Park. The diminutive filly ridden by Vince Guerra and trained by John Hammes led every yard from the inside and won by a neck in :19.676 as the 4-1 second choice.

“She did everything right,” Hammes said.

Hammes said Lil Ms Money Bags notched the trainer’s 10th career victory in the Mile High Futurity, Arapahoe Park’s richest Quarter Horse race. He qualified five of the 10 finalists this year, although he had to scratch fastest qualifier Midori N Smoke due to an injury. Lil Ms Money Bags, who chased Midori N Smoke for second in the trials on August 2, took the spotlight and won her second race in her eighth career start.

Owned by Lisa Beauprez and Thomas and Thomas Bradbury Jr., Lil Ms Money Bags earned $43,647 for the win and improved her lifetime earnings to $56,363. Her record now stands at 8-2-2-0. Thomas Bradbury and Lisa Beauprez bred the filly out of the Streakin La Jolla mare Bits Of Bliss.

“She gets a little antsy in the gates and we put a flipping halter on her,” Hammes said about the bay filly sired by PYC Paint Your Wagon. “She seems to be responding to that real well.”

And once the gates open, Lil Ms Money Bags runs bigger than she really is.

“She’s pretty small, but she doesn’t know it yet,” Hammes said.

Juan Escobedo’s Simply Tapalpa, a maiden, finished second at odds of 9-1 for jockey Jaciel Soto and trainer Gerardo Herrera. A Sonic Zoom was a further head behind in third for owner Jean Chavers, jockey Brian Theriot and trainer Howie Chavers Jr.